There is now a huge range of Halloween-themed food for party planners to buy for their events, a columnist has noted.

Sophie Mackenzie, a food blogger, wrote on guardian.co.uk that much of this novelty food seems to be “fang-rottingly sugary”, with all sorts of biscuits, cakes and sweets on offer at supermarkets – for which the season means “big business”.

For her, the standard recipe for a Halloween-themed item is to combine Gothic colours with sugar, then add a “lame pun”. For people putting on parties at home or at nearby function venues, the catering can mean splashing out to get the most spooky treats.

Ms Mackenzie added: “If there’s any chance of trick-or-treaters making your door-knocker go bump in the night, the marketing wizards suggest you stock up on sweets that meet the high standards of today’s junior witches and warlocks.”

It also recommended spending some time coming up with games and decorations for the party venue. Halloween is on Wednesday this year, but many people are likely to have seasonal parties on the weekend preceding October 31st.